2 Thess 3:1-5 Prayerful Confidence in God
Let’s recap what we have covered so far. This letter was written to encourage the Thessalonians and clarify the confusion they had regarding the return of Christ.
• Chapter 1 – Paul encouraged them at the start and gave thanks for their faith and perseverance amid the persecution.
• He reassured them that God would judge the evildoers ultimately.
• Chapter 2 – Paul enlightened the confused ones who thought that Christ had returned, and they were left behind.
• Paul said the Day of the Lord has not come because TWO events have yet to take place - the rebellion has not come and the “man of lawlessness” has not appeared.
• God has revealed a timeline in the Scriptures, and they can trust what God has said.
Paul ended chapter 2, urging them to stand firm in the truth and traditions that they have been taught by Paul and his companions, both in person and by letter.
• Reminding them that they are the beloved of God, chosen and called by God, sanctified by His Spirit and will one day be glorified with Christ.
Chapter 3 today, Paul writes…
3:1-2 1Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honoured, as happened among you, 2and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith.
The work of the Gospel continues. Paul urged them to pray for him and his companions.
• I like to highlight 3 things that we can learn from Paul’s request for prayer:
1. We see Paul’s HUMBLE DEPENDENCE on God.
The work of the Gospel is a work of God. Paul asks them to “pray for us” - himself, Silas and Timothy, the team that has been travelling the region preaching the Gospel.
• This is not an unusual request. Paul has been asking churches to pray for him and his work – in this letter, and also in letters to the Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Romans.
• Paul recognises that he is fully dependent on God for both his well-being and ministry.
We see not just his dependence on God but also his humility. He is asking the Thessalonians, who are his converts, the young believers, to pray for him.
• The “teacher” is asking his “students” to pray for him. It’s like a seasoned warrior asking his new recruits to pray for him.
• Paul knows where he stands in the work of the Gospel. He is fully aware of his role and God’s role in the Gospel.
• He is but an evangelist, the carrier of the “word of the Lord”, doing a work that only God can accomplish.
• He cannot convict the hearts of men or bring about faith. Without God, he cannot only preach.
The prayer shows where Paul’s faith lies. This is what makes him great.
• He is fully aware of his inadequacy and that he is just a vessel used by God, a steward of God entrusted with the message of God.
• He is humble enough to understand his need for God’s help. And hence the need for prayers, even prayers from young believers who are saved through him.
There is no status when it comes to prayer. Every prayer matters. All prayers are important to God. He listens to all, regardless of status or rank. The prayer of a child is as precious as the prayer of a king.
At times, we might think that the prayers of pastors or leaders carry more weight, but they don’t. God doesn’t measure the power of a prayer by who says it, how long it is, or how eloquent the words are, as Jesus said in Matt 6. What matters most is the heart behind it.
Your prayers are just as effective as mine. God does not hear me any quicker than He hears you. We all come to God on an equal basis.
At big events, people will like to call on the pastor to pray, but it is important to know that a pastor’s prayer is not “more special” than others. I don’t have a special line to God.
The only difference is that because pastors are often asked to pray, they are more seasoned at it because “practice makes perfect”. People keep calling them to pray, so they get better at it. But so can anyone. Prayer strengthens with practice.
So, pray more and you will find yourselves comfortable praying, even in public.
Many in Paul’s shoes might have taken the opportunity to boast of their achievements.
• In a short time and under difficult circumstances, Paul preached the Gospel and founded the church, and produced good results at that.
• We read that the believers’ works of faith, labour of love and perseverance have become exemplary to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia (cf. 1 Thess 1:7).
• The young church has made a name for itself in the region.
Yet Paul said nothing of his efforts or success. His prayer request reveals this – his only concern is that God will continue to use them to spread the Gospel and do His work.
• “1…that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honoured, as happened among you, 2and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith.”
The prayer addresses TWO concerns, one regarding the MESSAGE and the other, the MESSENGERS. Regarding the MESSAGE:
• The word of the Lord would ADVANCE – “speed ahead” ESV, “spread rapidly” NASB/NIV.
• The word of the Lord would BE HONOURED (ESV, NIV) or GLORIFIED (KJV, NASB)
• Paul pointed to what the word of the Lord had done among the Thessalonians as an example of what he was talking about – they believed and were changed.
This line in Greek is literally, “let it run and be glorified”. Paul could have taken this description from the familiar picture of a runner in a Greek race. He wins in the end.
• That’s the passion of Paul – to proclaim the Word far and wide, and with the hope that they will believe it.
• He has made extensive travels throughout Asia, Macedonia and Greece for this purpose, proclaiming the Gospel to Jews and Gentiles.
• He will go to Rome eventually, and probably even Spain (he mentioned in Rom 15:24). If he did go to Spain, it would have been the westernmost point of the known Roman world at that time.
2. We see Paul’s FAITH IN THE WORD OF GOD.
Praying that the “word of the Lord” be proclaimed and “be honoured” – meaning, that the people who hear the Gospel and believe it.
• That’s what Paul believes - the Gospel “…is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Rom 1:16)
• It is not his message but the message of God. Paul said it earlier in 1 Thess 2:13
“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”
Hence, the need to pray! We pray for the proclamation of the Gospel (externally) and the reception of the Gospel (internally) in the hearts of men.
• Rom 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
• Paul tells the Corinthians, “…When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.” (1 Cor 2:1)
• It will not be our persuasive words or wise explanation of the Gospel, but the work of God’s Spirit in the hearts of men! Hence, the need to pray.
We work hard at sharing the Gospel, and we pray hard that it will be honoured.
• Our trust is not in the methods and means, although they matter. Our trust is in God.
• We pray that, externally, we can share the Gospel often and do it well, and internally, that the Spirit of God enlightens and convicts the people.
• In the final analysis, it is the “Word of the Lord” that transforms lives.
Learn from Paul. He is not discouraged even when opposed because his confidence is in God and the message of God!
• Paul wrote in 1 Thess 2:4 “…we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.”
• That’s where his faith lies, not in himself or his abilities. While God uses him, Paul knows that he is but a vessel used by the Lord for His work.
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Paul adds one more request - a prayer for the MESSENGERS:
3:2-5 2…that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. 3But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 4And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. 5May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
It’s a prayer for WE (“that we may be delivered”) and also THEM (“establish you and guard you against the evil one”).
• It’s a prayer for the carriers of the Gospel, trusting that the faithful God will watch over them, so that they will not be hindered from testifying for God.
• Paul has “confidence in the Lord” that they will be kept obedient (and not compromise the faith). They are doing and will continue to do what they have been taught.
• By God’s grace, they will experience the love of God and the endurance of Christ amid the opposition to the Gospel.
3. We see Paul’s TRUST IN GOD’S FAITHFULNESS.
Paul did not just plug an adjective here to describe God; he was speaking from experience.
• He was fully aware of the difficulties they faced in Thessalonica. He went through it.
• Acts 17:5-15 records the incident when Paul and his companions were there. The Judaizers were jealous when they saw the Gentiles being converted to Christ.
• They gathered wicked men from the marketplace and formed a mob (17:5), set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of one of the leaders (Jason). It became so dangerous that the brothers had to send Paul and Silas away to Berea that night (17:10).
• In Berea, they preached again. And it was not long before the same Jewish enemies came and stirred up the crowds there (17:13). Paul was forced to flee again to Athens for his safety. God rescued them.
3:3 “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.”
• Paul reminds them of the faithfulness of God, yet again. This is the second time.
• The first time he said it was in his first letter when he concluded. 1 Thess 5:23-24 23Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.
We see this picture: Behind the evil men opposing the Gospel stands the evil one.
Behind the bearers of the Lord’s message stands the faithful God!
• That’s the full picture. The Lord said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (cf. Matt 16:18)
• In other words, death or Satan is powerless to hold us captive. The Gospel shall be preached to the ends of the earth, and the redeemed shall be saved.
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God would answer this prayer for Paul many more times in the future.
• The enemies of the Gospel will be there, but the faithful God will watch over Paul and his companions, and the Gospel will “speed ahead and be honoured”.
• How do I know? We are here today, believers of Jesus Christ and the Gospel.
Paul models a life of confidence in God because the Lord is faithful.
• That’s what drives him and enables him to overcome the obstacles and threats with courage and peace.
And that’s what gives the Thessalonians confidence amid the persecution: God is faithful and dependable, and they can trust Him.
• So can we today. That’s the basis of our prayers. We pray because He is faithful.
Prayer:
May the truth of the Gospel be heard, Lord, and may all who hear it receive it with faith, Lord. May we hold fast to Your Word, in faith and obedience, so that our lives can tell of the good news of Jesus Christ. Make us faithful ambassadors of the Gospel wherever we are. Help us stay faithful because You are. In Jesus' name, Amen.
